Mechanism for making turn shoes



Dec. 4, 1928.

M. -L. DODGE MECHANISM FOR MAKING TURN SHOES Filed Aug. 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec, 4,1928. 1,693,976

M. L. DODGE MECHANISM FOR MAKING TURN SHOES Filed'Aug. 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Z5we7fiw mil {012500996 A, 10% M, /m

Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

UNlTED STTES MILTON L. DODGE, OF NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

MECHANISM FOR MAKING- TURN' SHOES;

Application filed August 19, 1924. Serial No. 732,925.

This invention relates to the manner of making turn shoes, more particularly those which are provided with toe stiifeners, or both toe and counter stiifeners and provides a r mechanism by which shoes having a superior finish may be produced with a relatively small expenditure of labor.

The shoe is assembled and lasted in the usual manner wrong side out on the last, the

lo sole being in temper, and with or without the toe stiffener, depending on whether it is desired to last it in position or to insert it later. The last is drawn and the shoe turned, and if the toe stiffenerhas not already been l incorporated in the shoe, it is then placed in position and the lining tucked within it.

The shoe is then placed in position with its toe over a form, which, with most types of shoe stiifeners is heated, toe stiffeners having thermoplastic therein becoming soft and permitting the upper to be properly shaped and shrunk to the contour of the form by means of a heated iron. When the stiffeners tempered" by treating with a liquid are used the heat tends to dry them out so that they become set to the shape of the form. These forms are preferably so constructed, as will later appear; as to facilitate the stiffener pressing the upper firmly against the sole 36 outwardly of the stitch linetherebetween.

After the toe has been thus shaped the shoe is removed from the heated form and placed between pressure dies and the sole molded to proper shape throu hout, particularly at the forepart and shan portion. The shoe is then removed from the dies and permitted to dry out. After drying out it may be finished in any suitable way eitherfilasting or finishin ofi the last as may be desired. If it is 40 re isted, the relasting operation is a very simple one, sincethe toe has already been properly shaped over the form, and when'the relasting is eflected should be smooth and firm. Particularly when it is not desired to relast it is desirable to place the shoe over a heated heel form to aid in smoothing the upper over the stiffener and to finish this portion of the shoe.

When wood ,heels are desired and when 60 previously molded counters are used, it is desirable toefiect the cutting on of the sole before the counter is placed in position. Where it-is done at that time the upper can be pulled away from the heel end of thesole so that it iseasy to remove the stock about the sides and rear end by a rotary cutter somewhat similar to a heel trimmer without-danger of cutting the upper. The usual lips at the forward ends of the cut portions of the sole may be out by hand operation, or in any suitable manner, this also being preferably effected before the counter stiffener is in position. utting on at this time is further advantageous in that it permits the counter to be placed in position closely against the upper on its marginand furnishes a better seat for the heel than if the cutting on is done after the counter stiffener is in position and permits the heel seat to be sewed when the shoe is sewed.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which i Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away showingthe shoe lasted wrong side out on the last, the inseam trimmed and the shoe ready to be removed from the last and turned, the toe stiffener being shown as lasted in. I"

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly broken away of a heated toe forming mechanism.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same showing the toe form portion inverted,

Figure 4 is an inverted plan of the forward portion of the toe form.

Figure 5 is a detail section through a shoe with the toe form therein on line 5 5 of Figure 4-.

Figure 6 is a detail section on line 66 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an elevation partly in section showing the shoe sole molded between dies.

-Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective illus- 'trating the cutting on operation.

Figure 9 is a perspective of the heel portion of a shoe showing the cuttingon operation completed.

Figure 10 is a central vertical section through the heel portion of the shoe in place over a heated counter form.

Figure llis a side elevation of the finished 10o shoe provided with a wood heel.

Referring to Figure 1, 1 indicates the last on which the shoe is lasted wrong side out, the sole being in teinper andindicated at 2 the upper being indicated at 3, the lining at t. At 5 is shown'the'toe stiffener which is placed in the shoe before it is lasted in case it is desiredto last it into the shoe, otherwise the stiffener is omitted at this time and in sorted later as will appear. After the usual I10 inseam trimming the shoe is pulled from the last and turned in the usual manner. In case a shoe stiffener, such, for example, as the Beckwith stiflener comprising a fibrous sheet material base saturated with a thermoplastie, is employed,this stiffener may be molded to general toe form and inserted in the shoe after it has been turned and the lining tucked into the stiffener, though, if desired, it might be sewed in the same manner as the liquid tempered toe stiffener. The liquid tempered toe stiffener may also be molded and inserted after the shoe is tulned. \Vhen this is done. the stiffener is in slightly tempered condition when it is placed in position. The shoe in this condition with the stiffener, Where a stiffener is to be used, is then pulled over a form. As shown in Figure 2 this form of mechanism comprises a form head portion 10 shaped as the forepart of a last and preferably of metal so that an electric heating unit 11 may be in.- serted in an opening 12 formed therein adjacent to its sole face 13. This head, as shown,

1 is mounted with capability of free turning movement,in an upwardly and rearwardly in- I clined standard 14 having an axially perfo-' rated neck 15 in which is rotatably mounted a cylindrical shank 16 projecting from the rear end of the form 10. In order that this head may be prevented from making a-complete revolution which would twist and snarl thewires 17 leading to the heating unit,ascrew 18 is threaded through the side wall of the neck 15 and has a reduced inner extremity l9 riding in a peripheral groove 20 of the shank 16. This shank 16 has fixed at one portion of this groove a pin 21 which acts as a stop coming into contact'with the extremity of the screw 18 when the form is rotated'about the axis of the shank in either direction to a definite extent. As shown best in Figures 4 and 5 the lower or sole engaging face of the form head is recessed or cut away to form a marginal rib 25 extending part1 therearound.

The shoe is drawn on to this orm, heated as above described and the form is positioned with its sole-engaging face downwardly disposed. lVhile in this osition the shoe is pulled snugly on the orm and the upper about the 'toe is smoothed down and shrunk to conform thereto. The heating of'the-form causes the thermoplastic material of the thermoplastic stiffener to soften so that the upper ma be smoothed down to the form with the sti ener interposed,--to properly finish the I forepart portion of the shoe. W rea liquid tempered stiffener is used the stiffener is shaped to the form and'partially dried out and set by the heat therefrom.

When thermoplastic stiffeners are used it may sometimes be preferable to; use a cold instead of a heated form, the stiffener having been softened by heat prior to placing the shoe on the cold form either in any suitable form of toe heater or steamer, or by being drawn on to a heated toe form. The cold form thus acts to set the stiffener after a time usually amply sufficient topermit its proper shaping to theform while soft so that when the shoeis removed from the form the toe is hard and not liable to be deformed in subsequent handling of the shoe as may sometimes happen when a heated form is used. The cold form is thus conditioned to set a thermoplastic stiffener while the hot form is conditioned to set a liquid tempered stiffener. The shaping of the toe portions of shoes over forms as heretofore described may, with advantage, often be used in connection with the manufacture of other than turn shoes. When the upper portion of the toe. of the shoe has been so treated with the upper presented upwardly, the workman rotates the form about its axis which extends from heel to toe of the shoe thereon to bring the sole portion 13 and the sole of the shoe upwardly disposed and toward him into the position shown in Figures 3 and 5 and at substantially the same elevation as the upper of the shoe was presented when the upper about the toe was being shaped. By striking the exposed face of the sole with a hammer as at the arrows a of Figure 5, the rib 25 is caused to push the shoe upper, lining, and stiffener toward the upper face of the sole by which means the upper is caused to seat snugly against the sole outwardly of the stitch line therebetween as at 27, the stitch line being shown at 26 '(see Figure 5). The shoe is then removed from the toe part form and permitted to set.

Preferably before the sole is permitted to dry out entirely the shoe is placed between the shoe, particularly if a molded or tempered counter is to be used, over a heel form 35, which may be heated, as shown in Figure 10. This form is of the shape of a heel portion of a last for the shoe. While on this heel form the upper may be smoothed into finished condition.

In case it is desired to use wood heels the cutting on operation is preferably performed before the counter stiffener is placed in position. Before the stiffener is in position it is possible to draw the upper away from the heel end of the sole as shown at 36 in Figure 8, permitting the major portion of the cutting on operation to be performed by means of a rotary cutter similar to theewell known heel shaver as shown at 37. This cutter is provided with a disk guard 38 which may bear against the upper face of the sole and between it and the upper so that the cutters are prevented from injuring the upper. As the ends of the cutting path for such a cutter are curved, as shown at 39 in Figure 8, the inner ends of the cut portion may be finished as by hand to form the under cut lips shown at 40 in Figure 9. If now the counter stiffener be fixed in position, it is found that the cutting on operation having been already performed, the counter may be made to press the upper at the heel end downwardly so as to form a good clean joint with the wood heel as shown at 41 in Figure 11. The shoe is then finished in any suitable or usual manner. Having thus described certain embodic ments of this invention it should be evident to those skilled inthe art that various changes and modifications might be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A form for use in making shoes comprising a head shaped like the toe portion of a last and being recessed on its lower face between its edges to define a'marginal rib, and means for carrying said head with capability of turning about an axis extending from heel to toe of a shoe on said form.

2. A form for use in making shoes comprising a head shaped like the toe portion of a last and being recessed on its lower face between its edges to define a marginal rib, and means for carrying said head in an outwardly and rearwardly inclined position with capability of turning about an axis extending fronTheel to ..toe of a shoe on said form.

3. A form for use in making shoes comprising a head shaped like the toe portion of a last and recessed on its lower face between its side edges to define a marginal rib, and means for carrying said head in an" upwardly and rearwardly inclined position with capability of turning about an axis extending from heel ing a stand having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined neckprovided with an axial socket, a head shaped like the toe portion of a last, and a shank extending from said head and rotatable in said socket, said head having an opening for receiving a heating element.

6. A form for use in making shoes comprising a stand having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined neck provided with an axial socket, a head shaped like. the toe portion of a last, a shank extending from said head and rotatable'in said socket, said head having an opening therein, an electric heating unit in said opening, and means for limiting the rotation of said shank in said socket.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature. a MILTON L. DODGE. 

